The Athy & District Anglers Winter League opened with a bang in the idyllic Marina club grounds in early October. On a day that saw many anglers get too much sun, it was perch that helped Ollie to his win despite a good net of tench for challenger Ryan. Ryan takes up the story with a report on the second match of their 2023/25 winter league…
On Sunday, October 29th, 2023, the Athy & District Anglers Club’s Winter League was back at the Marina club grounds. It was a chilly morning, and as the gang gathered at 08:30, we were pumped up for a day of angling fun. However, only 12 out of 14 participants showed up – Pat and Hugh decided to take a rain check, leaving a couple of empty pegs.
Before we got down to business, there was a buzz in the air as we drew for some cool spot prizes sponsored by Murph’s of Carlow. Barry, Keith, and Ryan struck it lucky, bagging those goodies, and we couldn’t thank Murph’s enough for their support. Our match prizes were also sponsored by the good folks at Murph’s of Carlow, so thanks a million to the folks at Murph’s! We all greatly appreciate it.
The weather gave us all a real rough wet start – cold, gloomy, and threatening to rain on our parade. The water levels at the Marina club grounds were high, thanks to the River Barrow being in flood. Some pegs were almost underwater – a real test for us anglers. But hey, that’s the name of the game, right?
At 10:00 am, Des gave the all-in call, and it was game on. Ryan, Ollie, and Mick kicked things off with a bang as the roach were biting like crazy in the flooded river. Those Barrow roach sure are a joy to have on the feed, and it was a blast for those guys, while the rest of the group had a bit of a slower start.
The morning was pretty much a washout with rain pouring down for the first three hours of the match. But, we’re a stubborn bunch, and we weren’t about to let a little rain dampen our spirits. We soldiered on, hoping for a break in the weather.
In the afternoon, the weather eased up and gave us a break from the downpour. The bites eased up for Mick and Ryan, and it became a game of balancing feeding & tactics to get any fish on the hook. On the flip side, bites started to pick up down the line of pegs putting everyone in the running for weigh ins!
As the clock struck 3:00 pm, the all-out call marked the end of the match. We packed up our gear and gathered around for the weigh-ins, the moment of truth.
Overall, it was a day of great catches, and we pulled in over 50lbs of fish. Ollie took the top spot with a whopping 9lb 14ozs, closely followed by Ryan in second place with 7lb 4ozs.
Now, here’s a kicker – third place was a tie! Barry and Tommy both weighed in at 5lb 12ozs, showing that this match was seriously competitive. Fifth place went to Jimmy with a solid 4lb 7ozs.
The Winter League’s Match 2 of 2023 was a wet one, but the fish were on and a great day was had by all!
Go fishing
Our next League Match is coming up on the 19th of November and we can’t wait!
In preparation we’ll be cleaning the River on Sunday the 12th of November, so head over to our Facebook page for details and come help out if you can!
Join the Club…
Athy & District Anglers Club was formed in 1959 and to this day they continue to pursue their goals of protecting, maintaining and encouraging the sport of angling in the greater Athy area. The club works with local authorities to improve and maintain local fishing areas as well as organizing events and matches for local and national anglers. Athy & District Anglers Club welcomes all new members and all age groups to the sport! If you’d like to get involved, please check out the Getting Involved section of their website.
Athy Town Coarse Angling Centre on the Barrow
